Agent Rodman? Did NBA star free American jailed in North Korea?

The regime in North Korea has released 22-year-old American student Otto Warmbier, who was detained in January 2016 while visiting the Hermit Kingdom. The move comes the same day that former NBA star Dennis Rodman touched down in Pyongyang for a visit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed the release of Warmbier, who was charged by regime officials with “crimes against the state” after he allegedly stole a sign from the Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang. In March 2016, he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.

There are still three U.S. citizens held in North Korean jails: Kim Sang-Duk, a Korean-American university professor; Kim Dong-Chul, a naturalized American citizen and businessman charged with espionage; and Kim Hak-Song, a Christian missionary and school professor.

Rodman, a former “Celebrity Apprentice” contestant, arrived in North Korea with a mission to “open a door” to the famously closed-off country.

The Stalinist regime rarely engages Americans, and Rodman’s personal relationship with “Supreme Leader” Kim makes him a valuable asset when it comes to painting a fuller picture of the U.S. adversary’s profile. The North Korean leader is reportedly a big fan of basketball.

Asked by reporters if he was sent by President Trump, Rodman responded: “Well, I’m pretty sure he’s pretty much happy with the fact that I’m over here trying to accomplish something that we both need.” Concerning the Americans detained in North Korea, Rodman said it is “not my purpose right now … My purpose is to go over there and try to see if I can keep bringing sports to North Korea.”

But almost parallel to the moment Rodman landed in Pyongyang, Warmbier was released to U.S. custody Tuesday.

Rodman also traveled to North Korea in 2014, leading a delegation of former NBA players on what he called a “basketball diplomacy” mission.

“But I am not going to sit there and go ‘Hey guy, you are doing the wrong thing.’ That is not the right way to do it. He is my friend first … and I love him,” Rodman said of his mindset and approach to Kim Jong Un.

Kenneth Bae, a past imprisoned American in North Korea, credited Rodman with being the unwitting catalyst for his release in 2014. A rant on CNN by an admittedly intoxicated Rodman, in which he justifies Bae’s detention by North Korea, led to much more awareness for Bae’s situation. And Bae believes that the rant played a significant part in his release.

After arriving in Beijing before heading to Pyongyang, Rodman took to Twitter and thanked PotCoin, a marijuana currency company, for apparently sponsoring his mission to East Asia.

CNN.com reports that Otto Warmbier is in very bad health and has been in a state of coma for over a year: “The 22-year-old contracted botulism and is in ‘bad shape’ but en route back to the United States, a source close to the family told CNN.”

Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in a statement: “Otto has left North Korea. He is on Medivac flight on his way home. Sadly, he is in a coma and we have been told he has been in that condition since March of 2016. We learned of this only one week ago.”

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Author: Jordan Schachtel

Jordan Schachtel is the national security correspondent for Conservative Review and editor of The Dossier for Blaze Media. Follow him on Twitter @JordanSchachtel.